System for identification of the pairs of ports and of the respective patch cords in patch panels of telecommunication networks

ABSTRACT

A system applied to patch panels having pairs of ports to be interconnected by the insertion of connectors provided at each end of a patch cord and carrying a passive NFC identification tag and containing a unique identity of the patch cord. A tracking module associated to each patch panel and connected to a controller device and comprising an NFC antenna associated with each panel port and a reader for processing and storing the signals that each antenna picks up from the identification tag of a connector inserted in the respective panel port. Each tracking module carries a light indicator, indicating the connection status of each port, and a button for registering the patch panel in the controller device having its operation managed, in accordance with a programmed interconnection layout, by a server.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to Brazilian Patent Application No.1020170218686 filed Oct. 10, 2017, which is incorporated herein byreference in its entirety including the specification, drawings, andabstract.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a system for enabling individualidentification of each pair of ports of patch panels oftelecommunication networks and also of their respective patch cords whenconnecting the two ports of each pair of ports of said patch panels,which are used to allow the organized interconnection of differentdigital or analogue data telecommunication lines in differentapplications.

BACKGROUND

The telecommunication network patch panel installations are well knownin the prior art with said patch panels comprising in their front regiona plurality of panel ports to be interconnected, two by two, in apreviously designed manner, by a patch cord having at each end aconnector to be inserted and retained in a respective port of a pair ofpanel ports, a port being connected, by the rear region of the panel, toa line telecommunication, for example a connection to a network switch,router or PBX, while the other port of the pair is connected, also bythe back region of the panel, to another telecommunication line, forexample a local network point or socket where it will be connected to acomputer, telephone, printer, server, or other equipment. The patch cordthus enables the organized connection of each pair of panel ports, thatis, of each two lines of telecommunication in an arrangement which canbe rearranged, at any time, according to the variable operationalrequirements of each installation.

In this type of installation of telecommunication network patch panels,it is common to change the arrangement of the interconnections betweenthe different telecommunication lines connected to the panel ports,requiring the operator to carefully note the ports to have theirinterconnection performed by a respective patch cord.

In installations with a large number of patch panels and panel ports,the operator in charge of deploying or rearranging the interconnectionsis required to expend effort and time to overcome the usual difficultiesin safely locating the panel ports to have their interconnectioneffected or rearranged, and there is an effective risk ofinterconnection errors that will also require efforts to detect andcorrect them, particularly in installations with a high number oftelecommunication lines to have their interconnections effected,complemented or rearranged.

Due to the inconveniences of the operations of effecting, complementingand rearranging interconnections between the panel ports, made by manualannotations to be followed by the operators, computerized systems wereproposed for tracking and individual identification of theinterconnection of each two patch panel ports, through a patch cord. Insuch an interconnection system, each of the opposing ends of each patchcord carries a connector on which is secured an identification tagcontaining the data for the individual identification of each patch cordto be applied to the patch panels which are usually mounted in astructure disposed in an enclosure, for example a room, generallyrestricted access.

In such installations, the patch panels have each panel port operativelyassociated with a sensor capable of reading the data contained in theidentification tag of the connector that is inserted in a respectiveport of the patch panel. A controller device is operatively associatedwith the patch panels to identify/track whether certain patch cords arewith their connectors connected to the port pairs of the patch panels,in accordance with the desired arrangement.

A known identification system is that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.7,605,707 in which it is proposed to use an RF antenna associated witheach panel port and still to an RFID reader device. Each connectorcarries an RFID identification tag with a microchip containing theunique identity data of a respective patch cord and to be detected bythe RF antenna of a panel port when a respective connector is insertedor removed from said panel port. The signals detected by the RF antennaare then transmitted to the reader device provided with a processorwhich transforms the RF antenna signals into digital data to be storedin a database of a computerized controller device, which registers theconnection condition of the patch cord, allowing the identification ofeach two panel ports that are interconnected by the same patch cord orthat have been disconnected from each other.

This prior solution also provides light indicators, in the form of LEDs,associated with each panel port, to indicate, by the actuation of thecontroller device, that the respective panel port has inserted thereinor removed therefrom an end connector of a respective patch cord.

Although providing a computerized identification tracking of thedifferent interconnections of the pairs of ports in a patch panelinstallation, this prior solution presents, as an inconvenience, therequirement to communicate on radio frequencies from 868 MHz to 950 MHz,or in the 2.4 GHz band. Said frequencies are quite high and make complexthe circuits and components needed to conduct, switch and read thesignals, leading to a fairly high cost solution. Another disadvantage ofthese levels of frequency is the fact that there is no globalstandardization for them, so that each country or region (USA, Europe,Japan, and others) has different requirements and therefore the solutionneeds to be adapted locally.

Another known solution is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,285,293, in whichit is proposed to use tracking modules to be attached to each patchpanel, each tracking module carrying, associated with each port of therespective patch panel, a light indicator (LED), a sensor, usuallymechanical, and a tracker button, connected to a controller device. Inthis previous solution, the detection of the insertion of a connector ina port is defined by the actuation of the respective sensor. Thedetection of a connection or a disconnection is made by the actuation ofthe respective sensor that does not constitute an antenna and the endconnectors of the patch cords do not carry any identification tag.

Further according to this foregoing solution, the pressing of arespective tracker button associated with each panel port causes thelighting of the light indicator associated with that button and thecontroller device locates the opposite end of the respective patch cordand energizes the light indicator (LED) associated with the receivingport on the opposite end of the same patch cord.

Although providing a computerized identification tracking of thedifferent port pairs interconnections in a patch panel installation,this second prior solution presents, as an inconvenience, the fact thatthe tracking module carries a sensor generally mechanical, and a trackerbutton for each patch panel port, making each tracking module morecomplex and less compact, as well as making the connectors (male and/orfemale) no longer follow the pattern in order to accommodate those keys.

Another drawback arises from the fact that there is no unique identifieron the patch cord (the system only detects the presence or absence butdoes not identify the element) so the system needs to assume that anytwo connections detected consecutively correspond to a patch cord. Theconsistency of the database heavily depends on the training and thediscipline of the operator to execute the connections in that specificway. If this does not happen, or if there are different delays betweenthe panel controllers to route detections to the server, the databasewill be inconsistent and the system will lose its utility.

Other identification systems using RFID may be seen in patent documentsU.S. Pat. Nos. 8,665,107; 8,427,335; and 8,171,468, which have at leastsome of the drawbacks discussed above.

Still other systems are known such as that one in which an additionalpath is used to the patch cord and through which the data travelsbetween the patch panels; that one in which the smart solution is madeby contacting a chip fixed to the patch cord with its reader in thepatch panel; or yet one in which the patch panel recognizes the presenceof the patch cord by approximation, using optical or infrared sensortechnology.

These known solutions either do not allow the inclusion of customizedinformation on the patch cord or do not prevent misidentification ofpatch cords, due to the possibility of the optical or infrared sensorsto detect any element that is close to a port or even being cheated by areflexive surface (e.g. the acrylic cover of an equipment installedbelow the patch panel), or require connecting elements which do notfollow the industry standard, or complex circuits that have too highcosts.

SUMMARY

In view of the above drawbacks, the present disclosure aims to provide acomputerized system to allow the easy and safe visual and individualidentification not only of each pair of patch panel ports alreadyinstalled or to be installed for application in the interconnection oftelecommunication networks according to an appropriate arrangement, aswell as of the respective patch cords when connecting the respective twoports of each pair of ports of these patch panels, using reduced powerand low frequency for wireless communication between each patch cord andthe panel ports, indicating and identifying the connection ordisconnection of the ports of each pair of ports.

A further object of the present disclosure is to provide anidentification system as set forth above and allowing a simple and rapidinsertion of data into the identification tags already attached to therespective end connectors of a patch cord with the latter alreadyinterconnecting two panel ports. With this feature, it is possible, forexample, to control the useful life of the patch cord, which usually hasa maximum number of connections/disconnections before it begins to haveits performance degraded.

These and other objects and advantages of the present disclosure areachieved by the provision of a tag and reader system based on Near FieldCommunication (NFC) in accordance with ISO/IEC 14443, which arepositioned externally to the connection elements that, in this way, cancontinue to follow exactly the compatibility standards of the industry.

According to the present disclosure, each patch panel is provided with atracking module where there are active detection circuits and switchingand reading circuits of the passive NFC tags, which in turn are attachedto the patch cords.

The antennas and circuits, of each tracking module of the patch panel,are carefully designed and tuned to detect connections in a limitedthree-dimensional space, avoiding false detection of connections thatare actually on neighboring ports. By using the relatively lowfrequencies of the NFC standard, all the switching and reading circuitcan be executed in printed circuit board presenting a relatively simpleconstruction and therefore accessible costs. The frequencies used in theNFC have the important additional advantage of being globallystandardized, so that the same tags and readers can be used anywhere inthe world without any change. According to the above system, after theconnectors of the patch cord have been connected to respective frontports, the scanning of the ports in progress by the panel module willdetect this new connection and communicate the unique identifier of thatpatch cord to a controller device of the panels which will maintain alocal database of connections, and will also forward those events to thesoftware of a centralized server that maintains the entire networkdatabase and provides an administration interface. In addition to theconnection detection, the system allows only the connector and its patchcord to be identified, so that the connection database will always beconsistent regardless of the sequence of operations performed by theoperator in the field.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present disclosure will now be disclosed with reference to theaccompanying drawings, given by way of example of a possible embodimentof the present disclosure and in which:

FIG. 1 shows a diagram of the identification system when applied to aset of patch panels exemplified by only two panels, each one carrying 12RJ-45 type panel ports, only one of the ports of a panel beinginterconnected to a port on the other panel a patch cord;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a patch cord of the type shown in FIG. 1and having each of its RJ-45 connectors attaching a passive NFCidentification tag containing data identity the respective patch cord;

FIG. 3 shows a front view of one of the two patch panels of FIG. 1,illustrating a tracking module, to be removably adapted in each patchpanel, for capturing, processing and storing the representative signalsof the identification tag of the end connector inserted into a panelport;

FIG. 4 shows a diagram illustrating the elements of a tracking modulecarrying an NFC antenna and a light indicator for each port of therespective patch panel, further illustrating one of the switches closed,for connecting the respective antenna to the tracking module reader forcapturing, processing and storing the data received from theidentification tag of the patch cord connector, which is inserted to thepatch panel port;

FIG. 5 schematically shows a server provided with management software of“n” control devices of the pairs of patch panels;

FIG. 6 shows a diagram of the sequence of actions performed by theidentification system, upon registration of change of theinterconnections by disconnection of patch panel ports; and

FIG. 7 shows a diagram of the sequence of actions carried out by theidentification system, upon registration of change in theinterconnections by connection of patch panel ports.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

As shown in FIG. 1 and already mentioned above, the present disclosurerelates to a system for identifying pairs of ports and of the respectivepatch cords of patch panels of telecommunication networks, of the typecomprising a plurality of patch panels 10, 20, which respectivelyreceive external lines LE and internal lines LI, being shown in FIG. 1only an internal line LI, leaving a patch panel 20 towards a networkpoint PR, for connection of a computer PC of a user, to a port ofanother connecting panel 10.

The connecting panels 10, 20, are usually mounted on non-illustratedstructures, mounted in an adequate enclosure, usually a restrictedaccess room. The number of patch panels may vary according to the needsof each installation, it being understood that the illustrationspresented herein are for exemplary purposes only, showing therelationship between a patch panel 10, which mirrors the ports of activetelecommunication equipment, and a patch panel 20 from which run theinternal lines LI for the different network points PR.

Each patch panel 10, 20 comprises, in its front region, a plurality ofpanel ports 11, 21, to be interconnected, two by two, in a previouslydefined arrangement, by a patch cord 30 having, at each end, a connector31, for example RJ45 type, to be inserted and retained in a respectiveport 11, 21, of a pair of panel ports to be interconnected.

Each port 11, 21 is connected, through the rear region of the panel, toan equipment port or telecommunications outlet or to another port ofanother panel.

According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, each connector 31of a patch cord 30 is constructed to allow that be secured therein, byany suitable connection, an identification tag 32 in the form of a tagcontaining a small passive electronic memory capable of communicatingvia radiofrequency (RF), and storing data relating to the individualidentification of the respective patch cord 30 at the ends of which thetwo connectors 31 are adapted, each securing a respective identificationtag 32, as shown in FIG. 2.

Thus, the two identification tags 32, associated to each patch cord 30,contain the same individual identification data of the respective patchcord 30. This identification tag does not require additional circuits orexternal antenna, being totally passive.

The fact that the identification tag 32 proposed by the presentdisclosure contains a small electronic memory enables a simple and rapidinsertion of data into the identification tags 32 already attached tothe respective connectors 31 of a patch cord 30, already inserted inrespective patch panel ports 11, 21, as discussed more fully hereinafter.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 3, and 4, the solution proposed by the presentdisclosure requires that the identification tag 32, of each connector 31inserted in a port 11, 21, may provide, to a tracking module MR, bywireless communication, signals representative of the identifying dataof the patch cord and stored in its electronic memory, so that such datais captured, processed and stored for further tracking process of theinterconnections being made or rearranged in the set of patch panels 10,20.

The tracking module MR is constructed to be installed or removed fromeach patch panel 10, 20 already mounted on the respective supportstructures and respectively connected to the telecommunication lines tobe interconnected. The attachment of each MR tracking module to therespective patch panel 10,20 can be done in different ways, providedthat it does not impair access to the panel ports 11,21 and allows thesafe capture, by the MR tracking module, of the identification datacontained in the identification tag 32 of the connector 31 inserted ineach port 11,21.

As exemplified in FIGS. 3 and 4, each MR tracking module comprises anNFC-type antenna 40, to be positioned adjacent each port 11, 21, of thepatch panel 10, 20, the antennas 40 of each MR tracking module beingselectively connected, one by one, by respective switches 41,electronically controlled, to a transceiver 50 which is in turnconnected to a reader 60 provided with memory and processor forprocessing the signals which each antenna 40 is able to individually andsequentially receive from the respective identification tag 32 and storesaid data representative of the identification of the panel ports 11, 21interconnected by a patch cord 30.

The proposed solution works at the frequency 13.56 MHz, whereby thepower required for communication between the identification tag 32 and arespective antenna 40 is lower than that used in a system using RFID,not interfering with other nearby systems to the installation inquestion.

Each MR tracking module further comprises light indicators 70, forexample in the form of LEDs, to indicate the status of each panel port11, 21, a light indicator 71 to indicate, with respect to thepredetermined arrangement of interconnections, the status of the patchpanel 10, 20 to which it is attached, and a button 73 which, whenpressed by the operator, performs the initial registration of the panel,in a controller device 80. The controller device 80 maintains a databaseof the connections of all the panel ports 11, 21 connected thereto andcommunicates that database to the software of a centralized server 90,as shown in FIGS. 1 and 5. From the database of the controller device 80it is possible to carry out manual scans of connections through adisplay (LCD) provided in the controller device 80. This scanning ismade by selecting the panel on the LCD display of the controller device80 and the pressure action in navigation arrows (not shown) causes thelight indicators 70 of the MR tracking module to be sequentiallyenergized. At the same time, the controller device 80 queries itsdatabase of connections and sends commands to energize the correspondinglight indicator 70 of the MR tracking module coupled to the other patchpanel 10, 20, making it easy to identify the panel ports related to thesame patch cord 30.

The MR tracking modules of the patch panels 10, 20 containing a numberof pairs of panel ports 11, 21, for example 24 pairs of ports, areoperatively communicated via CAN port and via USB cables, to arespective controller device 80 provided with a persistent flash memorytable which is not lost in the event of a power failure in thecontroller device 80, containing all the information of all the patchcords 30 (register of the serial number of the NFC identification tag32) which are connected to the panel ports 11, 21 of the patch panelsmanaged by the respective controller device 80. The energization of theconstituent elements of each MR tracking module is obtained from thecontroller device 80.

According to the identification method defined by the operation of thesystem proposed herein, each MR tracking module sequentially carriesout, by its reader 60 and at intervals of, for example, 3 seconds, thereading of the signals picked up by the antennas 40, regardless of thecommands of the respective controller device 80. The reader 60 of eachMR tracking module identifies which ports of the pairs of the panelports 11, 21 are connected by a patch cord 30, or which have beendisconnected, and stores the status information in its internal memoryso that it can be managed by the respective controller device 80 towhich the reader 60 is connected by a respective USB cable.

Each controller device 80, operably associated with a number of patchpanels 10, 20, for example of 24 pairs of ports, is commanded, viaEthernet port, by software installed on the server 90, which softwarecan manage various controller devices 80, as schematically illustratedin FIG. 5, according to the particular characteristics of eachinterconnection layout. The usual interconnection layout changes (portconnections and disconnections) can be easily upgraded in the softwareof the server 90, including the insertion of supplementary useridentification data into the identification tags 32 of the alreadyinstalled patch cords 30. FIG. 6 and illustrate the actions of themethod of identification effected by the system in question, uponregistration of change of interconnections, by disconnection andconnection, respectively, of the ports of the patch panels.

FIG. 6 illustrates the method of identification effected by theidentification system upon registration of change of connections bydisconnection of the ports 11, 21 of the patch panels 10, 20. In stepS110, a requirement in the server 90 for the disconnection betweenpanels 10, 20 is made. In step S112, the server 90 sends requirement tothe controller device 80. In step S114, the controller device 80receives the requirement and sends information to the panels 10, 20. Instep S116, the panels 10, 20 to be disconnected, receive the message andswitch on the indicators 70 (LEDs) of the port 11, 21 to bedisconnected. In step S118, the panel 10, 20 waits the disconnection ofthe cord 30 at the port 11, 21. In step S120, it is determined if theport 11, 21 is disconnected. If it is determined that the port 11, 21 isnot disconnected, the method returns to step S118. If it is determinedthat the port 11, 21 is disconnected, the method proceeds to step S122.In step S122, the panel 10, 20 send information to the controller device80. In step S124, the controller device 80 receives the information andsends to the server 90.

FIG. 7 illustrates the method of identification effected by theidentification system upon registration of change of connections byconnection of the ports 11, 21 of the patch panels 10, 20. In step S210,a requirement in the server 90 for the connection between panels 10, 20is made. In step S212, the server 90 sends requirement to the controllerdevice 80. In step S214, the controller device 80 receives therequirement and sends information to the panels 10, 20. In step S216,the panels 10, 20 to be connected, receive the message and switch on theindicators 70 (LEDs) of the port 11, 21 to be connected. In step S218,the panel 10, 20 waits the connection of the cord 30 at the port 11, 21.In step S220, it is determined if the port 11, 21 is connected. If it isdetermined that the port 11, 21 is not connected, the method returns tostep S218. If it is determined that the port 11, 21 is connected, themethod proceeds to step S222. In step S222, the panel 10, 20 carries thereading of the tag 32 in the port 11, 21 and sends information to thecontroller device 80. In step S224, the controller device 80 receivesthe information and sends to the server 90.

The energization of the light indicators 70, indicative of theconnection status of the panel ports, is done sequentially, one by one,from operator control on the LCD display of the controller device 80 orvia application software installed on a mobile device DM to be carriedby the operator to indicate to the latter which ports 10, 20 should beinterconnected by a respective patch cord 30, in accordance with theupdated interconnection layout defined by the software of the server 90,which manages the operation of any of the controller devices 80operatively associated with the MR tracking modules of the patch panelsof the same connectivity area, which is programmed logically torepresent a telecommunications room, a floor, a building, etc.

The server 90 allows that “work” orders be programmed, each of theseactions defining, in the software of the server 90, which ports 11, 21of the patch panels manageable by the respective MR tracking moduleshould be communicated or fail to communicate through the patch cords30. With this, an operator will make the connections between themanageable patch panels 10, 20 by correctly using only the patch cords30 containing the identification tags 32 compatible with the programmedinterconnection layout.

The server 90 has its software programmed to ignore or to block theinterconnection by a patch cord 30 between distinct connectivity areaswhose interconnection is not permitted by the structured cablingstandards.

In addition to the above, the server 90 should be programmed so that thecontroller devices 80 of the same connectivity area block thesimultaneous scanning of the light indicators 70, making it possible tostart said scanning of a patch panel 10, 20 within said connectivityarea and when there is no “work order” being executed in thisconnectivity area.

If there is a “work order” being performed, the controller devices 80should block the scanning of the light indicators 70. In the event of ascan in a connectivity area and a “work order” execution is initiated,the scan is closed until the execution of the “work order” is completed.

In the event of an identification tag 32 is disconnected from the local(internal) or remote (external) side during a scanning operation, thecontroller device 80 should erase the remote side and keep its lightindicator 70 on (energized) of the local side of adaptation of the patchcord 30, wherein the controller devices 80 of that connectivity area andthe software of the server 90 should receive an instruction to updatethe layout of interconnections and issue alerts to the administrator.

If occurs a connection of identification tag 32 at the local side(internal) or remote side (external) coincident with a port which is thelight indicator 70 energized and representing one end of a patch cord 30with the other end already inserted, the controller devices 80 of saidconnectivity area and also the software of the server 90 should performthe energization of the corresponding light indicator and update theinterconnection layout of the respective connectivity area and issuealerts to the administrator.

The controller device 80 should operate autonomously if it is notinserted in any connectivity area or if it has not yet been connected tothe server 90. In that condition, the controller device 80 shouldcontrol, by interconnect layouts, the connections executed in the patchpanels 10, 20 previously recorded in the controller device 80, enablingscanning operations of the light indicators 70.

While shown herein are panel ports 11, 21 designed to receive connectors31 of the RJ45 standard, it should be understood that such ports may beconfigured in accordance with other designs to receive different typesof connectors 31 not necessarily represented by the RJ45 standard. Forexample, connectors for fiber optic cables in SC, LC or other standards,connectors used in telephony, in industrial or building automationsystems, etc., may be used.

It is claimed:
 1. A system for identification of pairs of ports and ofrespective patch cords in patch panels of telecommunication networks,each patch cord having opposite ends each one carrying a respectiveconnector to be removably inserted and retained in a respective port ofa respective patch panel, each connector of a same patch cord carryingan identification tag containing, stored therein, a unique identity ofthe respective patch cord, the identification tag is of a passive NFCtype, each patch panel removably fixing a tracking module connected to acontroller device and the tracking module comprising: a NFC antennaassociated with each port of each panel; a transceiver; a switchselectively connecting, one by one, each NFC antenna to the transceiver;a reader connected to the transceiver and processing and storing thesignals that each NFC antenna picks up from the identification tag, of aconnector inserted in the respective panel port, said signal containinga connection/disconnection identification, associated to the panel port;a light indicator associated with each port and indicating a connectionstatus of each port; and a button to register the patch panel in thecontroller device, the transceiver, the reader, the switches, the lightindicators and the button of each patch panel of a set of pairs of patchpanels energized and operated from the respective controller devicehaving its operation managed, according to a programmed interconnectionlayout, by a server.
 2. The system according to claim 1, wherein thereader of each tracking module performs, sequentially and at regularintervals, the reading of the signals picked up by the NFC antennas,independently of the commands of the respective controller device. 3.The system according to claim 1, further comprising a display and/or amobile device operatively associated with a respective controller deviceand controlled by an operator to provide a sequential energization, oneby one, of the light indicators of each pair of panel ports to beinterconnected by a respective patch cord according to theinterconnection layout defined by the server.
 4. The system according toclaim 1, wherein each tracking module carries a respective lightindicator operatively associated with a respective controller device andenergized upon registration of the respective patch panel in theinterconnection layout programmed in the server.
 5. The system accordingto claim 1, wherein each controller device is operatively associatedwith the button to register, by an actuation of the button, the statusof connection between two panel ports by a sequential energization ofeach light indicator of a respective tracking module and thecorresponding light indicator of the tracking module of the other patchpanel and related to a panel port associated with the same patch cord.6. The system according to claim 1, wherein each controller device isoperatively associated with a set of pairs of patch panels comprising amultiplicity of pairs of panel ports to be connected to each other byrespective patch cords.
 7. The system according to claim 1, wherein eachcontroller device is provided with a table, which is persistent in flashmemory and contains all information of all the patch cords contained inthe respective pairs of identification tags of connectors that areconnected to the panel ports of the patch panels managed by therespective controller device.
 8. The system according to claim 1,wherein each controller device has its operation managed in accordancewith the characteristics of each interconnection layout and via aninternet port connection, by a software installed in the server.
 9. Thesystem according to claim 1, wherein the server manages the operation ofthe controller devices associated with the patch panels of the sameconnectivity area, logically programmed, to represent atelecommunications enclosure.
 10. The system according to claim 9,wherein the server is programmed to ignore or to block aninterconnection via a patch cord between distinct connectivity areas.11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the server is programmedso that the controller devices of the same connectivity area block thesimultaneous reading of the light indicators, releasing said reading ofa patch panel within said connectivity area when there is no “workorder” execution in that connectivity area.
 12. The system according toclaim 1, wherein the controller device can function autonomously whennot inserted in any connectivity area or not connected to the server.13. The system according to claim 2, further comprising a display and/ora mobile device operatively associated with a respective controllerdevice and controlled by an operator to provide a sequentialenergization, one by one, of the light indicators of each pair of panelports to be interconnected by a respective patch cord according to theinterconnection layout defined by the server.
 14. The system accordingto claim 2, wherein each tracking module carries a respective lightindicator operatively associated with a respective controller device andenergized upon registration of the respective patch panel in theinterconnection layout programmed in the server.
 15. The systemaccording to claim 3, wherein each tracking module carries a respectivelight indicator operatively associated with a respective controllerdevice and energized upon registration of the respective patch panel inthe interconnection layout programmed in the server.
 16. The systemaccording to claim 13, wherein each tracking module carries a respectivelight indicator operatively associated with a respective controllerdevice and energized upon registration of the respective patch panel inthe interconnection layout programmed in the server.
 17. The systemaccording to claim 2, wherein each controller device is operativelyassociated with the button to register, by an actuation of the button,the status of connection between two panel ports by a sequentialenergization of each light indicator of a respective tracking module andthe corresponding light indicator of the tracking module of the otherpatch panel and related to a panel port associated with the same patchcord.
 18. The system according to claim 3, wherein each controllerdevice is operatively associated with the button to register, by anactuation of the button, the status of connection between two panelports by a sequential energization of each light indicator of arespective tracking module and the corresponding light indicator of thetracking module of the other patch panel and related to a panel portassociated with the same patch cord.
 19. The system according to claim4, wherein each controller device is operatively associated with thebutton to register, by an actuation of the button, the status ofconnection between two panel ports by a sequential energization of eachlight indicator of a respective tracking module and the correspondinglight indicator of the tracking module of the other patch panel andrelated to a panel port associated with the same patch cord.
 20. Asystem for identification of a pairs of ports in patch panels oftelecommunication networks, the system comprising: patch cordsconfigured to be connected to the pairs of ports in the patch panels,each patch cord having opposite ends, each end carrying a respectiveconnector to be removably inserted and retained in a respective port ofa respective patch panel, each connector of a same patch cord carrying apassive NFC type identification tag containing, stored therein, a uniqueidentity of the respective patch cord; and a tracking module removablyfixed to each patch panel, each tracking module connected to acontroller device, the tracking module comprising: a NFC antennaassociated with each panel port; a transceiver; a switch selectivelyconnecting, one by one, each NFC antenna to the transceiver; a readerconnected to the transceiver and processing and storing the signals thateach NFC antenna picks up from the identification tag, of a connectorinserted in the respective panel port, said signal containing aconnection/disconnection identification, associated to the panel port; alight indicator associated with each port and indicating a connectionstatus of each port; and a button to register the patch panel in thecontroller device, the transceiver, the reader, the switches, the lightindicators and the button of each patch panel of a set of pairs of patchpanels energized and operated from the respective controller devicehaving its operation managed, according to a programmed interconnectionlayout, by a server.